Description
Calabacitas is a classic Mexican side dish made with zucchini, corn, tomatoes, and peppers in a cheesy, flavorful skillet dish.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced (yellow or white)
- 1 poblano pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, diced (seeds removed if you don’t want it spicy)
- 1 ½ cups yellow corn, fresh or frozen
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 large zucchini, sliced into ¼-inch thick quartered pieces or half moons
- 1 large yellow squash, sliced into ¼-inch thick quartered pieces or half moons
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup milk
- Crumbled cotija cheese, for garnishing
- Chopped cilantro, for garnishing
Instructions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion, poblano, and jalapeño. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
3. Add the corn and tomatoes, and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the zucchini, yellow squash, garlic, salt, black pepper, oregano, and ground cumin. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so.
5. Pour in the water, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the shredded cheese and milk until the cheese has fully melted.
7. Remove from the heat, garnish with cotija cheese and cilantro, and serve.
Notes
You can use any type of summer squash or use all zucchini or all yellow squash.
Instead of fresh peppers, use 1 or 2 cans of diced green chiles if preferred.
For a milder version, substitute bell peppers for the poblano and jalapeño.
Cotija cheese can be replaced with crumbled feta cheese or omitted.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until warmed through.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe
- Calories: 149
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 962mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 11mg